


different difficulties

by arysthaeniru



Category: B.A.P, Secret (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 08:57:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3203390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysthaeniru/pseuds/arysthaeniru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which the secret coterie are the finest diplomatic agency of the Queen's Galactic Domain, regardless of whether their demons are determined to dog at their footsteps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	different difficulties

**Author's Note:**

> I was fed up searching the Secret Tag and only seeing them as side characters for B.A.P. I love B.A.P, but the Secret girls are so dynamic and beautiful and needed their own story.

It was with a growl of frustration that Hana strapped herself into her navigation seat. The asteroid shower wasn't something unusual in this part of the universe, but they hadn't been supposed to reach it for another three days. Which meant they had sped up, or it had sped up. Neither option sounded particularly good. Besides, she'd been woken up by the sirens and that was never a pleasant sensation.

Sunhwa, who had looked deeply concentrated on flying the vessel through the start of the barrage, nodded upon seeing Hana. "Jieun and Hyosung aren't here yet. We'll have to do it without guns for now." she said, as Hana stabilized the wings and started to plot a course through the rocks, scanning forward into the vast expanse of space. 

Hana swore as they abruptly tilted sideways, which caused her straps to cut into her shoulders and hips. "Keep it stable, Sunhwa!" she shouted, as they spiralled around towards the left.

"Not my fault!" replied Sunhwa, her beautiful face pulled into anger. "One of the engines just faulted out."

Faulted out? Without any sort of reason? That couldn't happen. '"We must have got hit." said Hana, brushing her blonde hair back, as she tapped on the icon for the right engine frantically, cursing softly for it to quickly load. 

"No, we didn't get hit, it just cut off!" insisted Sunhwa, as they ducked underneath a monster of an asteroid and swerved around another. Hana winced a little and glared at the youngest member of their ship, not that Sunhwa seemed to notice, as she brought the ship into a series of loop-de-loops, her wild, brown hair swirling around with the ship. 

Jieun slid into the room, her hair dripping wet and rubbing her ankle, before she swam for her chair and quickly strapped herself in. Hana pulled a face of sympathy; if being woken up was bad, being taken from a shower was worse. But if Jieun was already here, where was Hyosung? "Jieunnie, can you send a message to Hyosung-unnie and ask her where she is?" asked Hana, as she pressed down hard on the stabilizer button to counter Sunhwa's flying, reading the data of engine one, with a slowly increasing frown. 

"Sunhwa, you were right. There's something stopping the generator." she yelled, as they spiralled through another series of flying space-rocks. Hana hated this part of her job. 

Sunhwa made a loudly surprised noise, as they abruptly started rotating in the other direction to avoid a monster of a rock. "Then someone-needs to g-go and restart it manually!" she said, as she twisted at the wheel with force to try and get out of the way of the hunk of rock coming at them from the side.

In three shots, Jieun decimated the rock, and they managed to stabilize a little, somehow, despite shooting not being Jieun's usual job. Hana turned to her. "Jieun, where's Hyosung?" she demanded, as she opened up the engine reset codes. In order to reset the engines, someone had to go outside and cling to the side of the ship, while typing into the keypad under the main engine. Easier when the ship was not in motion in the middle of an asteroid field. She and Hyosung were the most fit out of the crew; it made sense for her and Hyosung to have to go and deal with it.

Jieun shook her head. "She's not answering to me, Hana." she said, as she shot away another rock coming their way. Hana cursed and pounded the side of the table, with her fist, instantly regretting her act of rage as her fist starting to throb with pain. Where the hell was their leader at a time like this?

"Just go and fix it, Hana!" yelled Sunhwa, as she frantically twisted the wheel in the other direction and mashed at some button at her side. "I can only steer like this for so long!"

"Fine, fine, I'm going. Keep us away from rocks or I'll die!" said Hana, as she unstrapped herself and propelled herself with fast pumps of her hands and legs towards the exit. No gravity in space was always a pain in the neck, but you eventually got used to it. She pulled herself through the corridors, and attached the helmet to her space suit, and tested the oxygen supply and her internal air pressure. The ship rocked violently and Hana swore loudly as she was knocked back against the walls.

She'd have to be quick, Sunhwa's steering was getting worse. With a sigh, she opened the airlock and slipped through as the pressure slowly adjusted until it was safe for her to exit into space. Well, safe was a relative term, as Hana blanched upon seeing a rock head straight for the ship. She closed her eyes waiting for the impact, but when nothing happened, she looked again, to see fragments of smaller, more harmless rocks scattered everywhere. Hana pulled herself together and tugged herself out of the ship, clinging the handrail with some body part at all times. 

It felt like an eternity before she reached the engines, but she guessed that it hadn't been all the long. Hooking a foot around the handrail, Hana leant forward to reach the keypad and typed in the code, with clumsy, shaking fingers. Her heart was pounding more than it ever did in any fight where she twisted weapons out of opponents' hands with a few, choice kicks. If she forgot or misremembered even one number now, they would be in even worse trouble.

As she typed the last number, she held her breath and stared the engines. After a few moment, the engines started glowing green and Hana sighed in relief. She then immediately clung tighter to the handrail as the pull from the engine started to pull at her. With immense effort, Hana edged away from the engines, inch by inch, using her strong legs and arms. Hours in the training room were really paying off. 

With clammy hands and a lump in her throat, Hana managed to get back inside the airlock and slammed her hand against the command to shut the airlock, feeling her breath become even again, as the pressure started to increase again. The ship already felt more stable. Hana finally pulled off her helmet once the other door of the airlock opened and she could float through the interior of the ship, with ease. 

Hana fell short as she entered the bridge and noticed Hyosung, who had managed to arrive. She was about to berate their leader for shirking responsibility, when the elder woman turned around and Hana's words fell flat in her mouth. Hyosung's maroon hair was drenched in blood, from a profusely bleeding headwound and her skin looked ashen, but she was still shooting.

"Good work, Hana." she said, her voice shaky. "We're almost out, so you can go and rest n--"

“You should go rest, Hyosung-unnie." said Hana, fiercely, as she floated towards Hyosung's place and unstrapped her, pushing away Hyosung's futile attempts to resist. "Go get a bandage! I'm here now, go rest up!"

Jieun nodded frantically and Sunhwa agreed loudly, as they swirled a little as they attempted to avoid a rock. "Yah, Jung Hana, who's the leader of this ship?!" Hyosung demanded, as she gripped the front of Hana's spacesuit. 

"Not you at the moment!" retorted Hana, as she broke free of Hyosung's weak grip. "Go rest up, unnie! If you die now, what use will you be to the Queen, huh? So go and rest, unnie! I'm not taking no for an answer!" Hyosung's eyes were angry, but she finally dropped her gaze and nodded, as she unstrapped herself fully and drifted away back to her room. Hana watched her back retreat, feeling angry and helpless

Sunhwa twisted the ship to the side a little to avoid the last of the asteroids, and finally they were able to place the ship back in autopilot. The three girls exchanged looks with each other, letting the silence of only their breath fill the room. "I guess taking Hyosung-unnie with us for that diplomacy thing on Dainchi's moon is ruled out then?" asked Jieun, biting her lip. 

Hana nodded, grimly, as she loosened her tight grip on Hyosung's chair. "Probably. You and Sunhwa are going to have to rock it, then."

Sunhwa groaned, fearfully. "That's my fault. My driving caused Hyosung-unnie to die. Oh goddess. I'm not ready to have killed someone. Oh goddess. Oh goddess." she panicked, as she buried her head in her hands. 

Hana shook her head, as she leant back in her chair. "That's not it. The engines were hardly your fault. Pull yourself together, Han Sunhwa, you and Jieun are going to have to make up for her charisma and if you keep crying, you'll never be able to do that."

Sunhwa wailed loudly. "You're not helping at all, Hana!" she said, but stopped panicking, at least.

Jieun laughed, softly and offered a kind smile to Sunhwa. "Let's run over what we're going to say then, hmm?" she said, as she unstrapped herself and propelled herself over to Sunhwa's seat. "Hana, you should go and rest, Hyosung-unnie was right, you did something pretty strenuous in unnie's stead, so you both go rest up."

Jieun wasn't a natural leader, fading into the background often during the military inspection. for not being as loud and boisterous as the rest of the members, but her quiet calm was always appreciated. Hana grinned and floated back away to Hyosung's room, to check up on their fearless leader. 

Hyosung struggled with the first aid box, her hands weak and Hana stopped her gently, and took over the bandaging. "Don't try yourself, unnie." she said, quietly. "You do so much for us, let us do some stuff in return as well."

Hyosung dropped her hands, and watched Hana wind the bandages around her head, tiredly. “I feel so useless." she muttered. "I should have taken that risk with the engines, not you. And Jieun managed to shoot without me anyway. And then Sunhwa's more than enough to be able to make diplomatic arrangements."

"Everyone gets injured, unnie." Hana said, easily, as she tied the bandage, tightly. "Don't blame yourself. Just focus on getting better. We're not as good without you, you should know that. We can cover for you because we're the best, but that doesn't mean we don't need you." 

She looked up shyly, to meet Hyosung's slightly wet eyes. Hyosung looked hesitant, before her lips pulled up into a gummy smile. "If you say so, Hana." she said, her voice gentle as she pronounced Hana's name. Hana smiled back and pulled Hyosung into a gentle hug. 

"Get better quickly, unnie. I'm going to go insane with just Jieunnie and Sunhwa!" she teased and Hysoung's laugh reverberated in her ears as she let go of Hyosung and went back to her own room to go back to sleep. 

-

Hana itched in the formal military uniform, but kept her stern position, with the heavy gun over her shoulder, and bulky sword tucked at her waist. She needed to look quite stern for these negotiations. At her sides, Jieun and Sunhwa wore long, beautiful dresses, that could instantly be converted into fighting clothes, at the insistence of the Queen that all of her workers be ready to fight at any opportunity. 

Jieun finished reading the list of their demands, with a clearing of her throat and a prim smile. The foreign diplomats looked pensive from the opposite side, staring straight at the three of them without wavering.  
"What do you say, Sir Hungsim?" she asked, despite the weight of their gaze. "Do you accept our terms or not?" He voice was soft and lilting and she presented herself quite beautifully. There was no bashfulness in her stance, but she didn't appear to be threatening either, which made her a perfect balance and the lynchpin of most of the diplomacy expeditions. 

In the end, she, Sunhwa and Hyosung were just protecting Jieun's genius from war. It didn't make any of the Secret members any less important, but where Jieun was only average on the ship, on land, she excelled. 

"We wish to consider them, well. Give us until tomorrow to decide whether we truly wish to agree to cease hostilities with the Queen." said Hungsim, finally, sounding cold. Hana didn't feel very happy about that, but Sunhwa clapped her hands happily, playing the role of a pretty idiot quite well, and Jieun nodded, courteously, so Hana had no choice but to accept it. 

Sunhwa leant in to them, as if begging permission, but her eyes were calculating. "I'm going to stay here, keep an eye on them, make them more agreeable. You two should leave, though, they're definitely scared of Jieun's calm and your weapons aren't too useful, Hana."

Jieun nodded. "Do what you can, Sunhwa." she said, and Sunhwa giggled loudly, clapping her hands again, like a fool. Hana let a smile touch her face as Sunhwa flounced away and the men smirked. 

"They're falling straight into her trap." muttered Hana.

"Of course." said Jieun, contentedly, as she adjusted her dress. "So, do we actually disappear or what?"

Hana pulled a face. "I don't want to leave her here. But we will be found if we hide here. This moon is tiny." That was hardly an exaggeration, it was perhaps the size of one of the hunks of rock that had almost killed them yesterday. But the moon's fake atmosphere and seclusion made it a popular meeting zone for rich people. "It's easier to get lost down on Dainchi itself." she murmured. Didn't she know that all too well? Dainchi was like a labyrinth, almost impossible to leave unless you had string. 

"So we head down to Dainchi?" asked Jieun, as they regally walked away from the ambassadors, very deliberately showing their backs to the men as they walked back to their ship. Hana nodded as they ducked into the ship and made their way to the bridge, through the silent corridors. Hyosung had surprisingly been very cooperative when it came to lying low in the ship and seemed to have holed herself in her room with a very large bottle of whiskey and her radio. That made this a little easier as Hana fiddled with some settings in the ship. There _had_ to be a teleporter here somewhere. 

Jieun pointed to the button that Hana was looking for, with one delicate finger, and a lightly amused expression on her face. Jieun always found the weirdest things funny. "Though Hana, I think considering where we're going, you may want to get changed. I'm not sure anyone wants to feel threatened by those tonight." she said, looking straight at the sword and the gun. Hana just grinned a little as she ducked away. 

"Alright, I'll be back.." she said, with an easy laugh. 

Her smile faded as she left the room and she really thought about Dainchi. She didn't want to be here. Even going to the moon had been unsettling enough, but she'd swallowed her protests for the sake of duty. But their duty hadn't supposed to lead to having to go back to her homeplanet. Still, there was no option to be able to lie low. Staying on the ship was just too close for the ambassadors to be able to make their decision comfortably. 

Sunhwa was acting like white paper to soften them up, but that only lasted when it was regarding Sunhwa alone. Jieun and Hana were threats in their eyes. The cessation of hostilities wouldn't happen until Sunhwa could convince them that the Queen's people were human and harmless. Hana's guns would hardly do that. She pulled them off, choosing to arm herself with a subtle knife strapped onto the rim of her bra and another hidden inside her favourite pair of platform heels, that made her feel like she was about to kick someone in the face while looking hot. 

Everything else was back to her usual looks when she had lived on Dainchi. Short shorts to accentuate her thighs and a baggy hoody, to hide everything else. Hana emerged from the room, looking less like a scary soldier, and more like a girl going out to party. Jieun raised an eyebrow as Hana re-entered the room. 

"You look different, Hana." she said, as they both stepped into the transporter circle, wearing the arm bracelets that would help them return back to the ship. 

"Well, this is Dainchi everyday fashion. I'm not really looking to party tonight, so..." Hana shrugged as she pressed the button and the transporter took them both away. They collapsed on a busy, bustling alleyway, causing a couple of streetkids to scramble away in shock. They stared up at Hana with fear in their eyes and Hana felt guilt tug at her heart. "Hey, you know where the Falcon is?" she asked, using her mother tongue. This was assuming that she'd gotten the coordinates right and she was in fact back in _her_ city. 

"Right, three blocks down." said the eldest, as he pulled one of his compatriots closer to his side. "You can't miss it."

"Right, thanks lads." said Hana, lifting a hand in greeting, as she grabbed Jieun's arm and pulled her along. People were staring at Jieun's beauty with resentment, and now Hana wished that she had gotten Jieun another dress, too. Not that she disliked attention with her outgoing personality, but this city would not treat Jieun well. That was why Hana was taking Jieun to one of the fanciest bars that she had ever seen while she had lived here. Goddess knows... it had been an eternity ago. Things could have changed and Hana would never know.

She'd never entered the Falcon, preferring dirty pubs where she felt more like she belonged, but now, she and Jieun were ambassadors and important soldiers. Besides, there was less of a chance of Jieun being killed by a jealous person inside the Falcon, which was typically filled with other rich bastards. 

"Hurry up, slowpoke." teased Hana, as Jieun almost tripped over herself to keep up with Hana's pace. Jieun didn't pay any attention, as her eyes continued to scan the place, taking in the condition of the people she saw, and the cramped and crowded buildings. It was difficult to see the sky and what little that could be seen was just the signs for the shady clubs and brothels in this area. 

Hana sighed, softly, and walked into the club. She and Jieun drew a curious looks, but the doorman waved them in with nary a word. The place was not as loud as Hana had been expecting, and was neat and sleek, with glowing tables and sparkling spotlights which made the place look iridescent. The walls were reflective at parts and deep black in others and it looked quite unique. Jieun gasped in delight and Hana grinned herself. This was a really cool sort of bar. 

As they wound their way away from the door towards the bar, Jieun's grip on Hana's elbow changed to something a little more uncertain. "Hana, they're all staring at you." she whispered.

"Us." corrected Hana, as she flicked back the hood. There was no risk of her being recognized by anyone she'd known, and in here, it was alright to be the Queen's Ambassador. "You're quite pretty you know." she said, with a sly smile. Jieun shook her head, shaking her hands, scrunching her nose in an adorable way. "See that barkeeper?' Hana asked, despite Jieun's protests, as she pointed to the young man with slicked back black hair and snake scales across his arms and neck, who seems to be blushing and firmly looking away from them. "He thinks you're the prettiest girl he's ever seen." 

Jieun gasped and laughed, hitting Hana's arm lightly. Hana grinned back, feeling quite mischievous and happy, now that she had managed to escape the part of Dainchi she hadn't been keen to confront. The streets had been her home away from home, but here, where it was unfamiliar in every way, everything was alright. "Don't joke around." Jieun chided, "He's too pretty. Besides, even if he did, the Queen doesn't approve of relationships."

"Who says that it's supposed to be a relationship? Just sleep with him, lead him on a bit, flirt a little and relax. It's not often we get an opportunity like this." Hana said, with a wry grin, as she scanned the room to find someone else who was staring at Jieun, like she was the Holy Goddess. Instead, her eyes caught an all-too-familiar face, with a tattoo snaking up his long neck. Hana's mouth felt dry and she felt like her world was spiraling around her. Why wasn't there anything around her to grip onto?

"Hana?" asked Jieun, worriedly and Hana nodded, not breaking eye-contact with the person across the room. 

"Right, right. Just ask him out for a one-night stand in common tongue. Have some fun!" said Hana, with a fake, forced laugh. "I, myself, have spotted someone very attractive and eyeing me well, so I am going off. You'd better be doing the same!" said Hana, sternly, and Jieun laughed, as she pressed a kiss to Hana's cheek.

"I guess you'll take the bracelet up to the ship yourself before dawn?" asked Jieun, her voice serious despite her smile as she lingered in the kiss. 

"Of course. Assume the worst if I'm not. I'll do the same for you." muttered Hana as she returned the kiss, and pulled away, with a toss of her curls. Her face settled into a stony frown as she pushed through some dancing kids to get to the retreating back, the tattoo guiding her through the masses. She couldn't avoid Dainchi's memories, apparently. This planet pulled at you, like a sick child, pleading for attention.

She found herself in an empty corridor, and Hana felt quite uneasy as the tattooed man disappeared into one of the small rooms meant for what she had lied to Jieun about. Swallowing a little and her hand coming closer to her bra's weapons, Hana cautiously entered the room. Her brown eyes met his vivid amber ones and Hana's lips parted. 

"Sungjin." she breathed, as she raked her eyes over him. He’d dyed his hair a vivid shade of red, and it brushed the edges of his tattoos, like a small protective mop. He looked more bulked-up and this clothes flattered him. They looked richer than the rags they’d both worn on the streets. 

"Jung Hana? It really is Jung Hana? Zinger?" he asked, as he too looked at her, over and over, as if unbelieving. "Can't be, you're too beautiful."

"And you got shorter." sneered Hana, hiding her excitement to hear his voice, saying the same quips that they had always exchanged. 

"That's because you're wearing heels bigger than my head." said Sungjin, his eyes flickering down to her shoes and Hana shrugged unapologetically, as she perched up on the table and swung her legs idly. 

"All the better to kill you with." she said, easily, but her lips pulled up into a smile. Sungjin laughed, with disbelief. 

"Fuck, it really is you." he said, as he stalked forward, until they were standing only inches from each other. His eyes were even more intense from here and Hana felt like she was being swallowed by them. She shut her eyes quickly, despite it showing off her weakness easily. She couldn't fall for him again. She wasn't here for that. She was here for a bit of relaxation and a quick one-night stand. 

She poked one nail at his chest, just an inch from the edge of his beautiful tattoos. "Yah, stop saying it over and over again, you sound more like an idiot than usual." It was a playful manner she'd always had with Sungjin, from years of running the streets together, as pickpockets and friends and street-kids. 

But he didn't respond his time, as his face stayed serious. "You left us, Zinger." he said, accusatory. 

"Yeah." said Hana, quietly, her chin tilted up. Denying basic facts was stupid. She had happily left behind Dainchi, and while she'd missed her home at points, she'd known that she was happier in space, with the girls, as the Secret Coterie. 

His face contorted a little at her and his hands slammed down around her, trapping her in. Hana leant back coolly, regarding him with contempt. She had the higher advantage. She was the one in power here. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her. "So what? You just backstabbed us without any regret?" he asked. "Because that's not the Zinger I knew."

"I didn't backstab you. I left. there's a difference." Hana said, coolly, bringing one hand up to examine her nails, as if she was bored, instead of desperately wanting to leave and run from this confrontation. She hadn't wanted to see anyone she'd formerly known, let along _Sungjin_. "I never breathed a word about what we did to anybody, nor about any of the plans that we had planned for the future."

Sungjin just shook his head, looking slightly disgusted. "So you traded in your boots and your bronze knuckles in for heels and pretty dresses? That's a betrayal of everything we ever stood for." he said, his arms shaking.

Hana bit her lip down, to stop herself from giving in to his strength of conviction in his words. "It's a dog-eat-dog world. My father got a chance to get me out along with him. I was trained well in our stuff on the street to be placed into the Queen's service instantly. I was better than everyone here and there. And now I'm a fully fledged member of one of her best squads. I am not squandering down here, trying to struggle for a few scraps of steel." she said, coolly, her voice louder, nevertheless.

Sungjin laughed, bitterly, as he pulled back and crossed his arms across his chest. "And they treat you well, do they? They treat the street-scum as they treat the precious children of their higher colonies? Do you get every opportunity that you should be awarded?" 

Hana was quiet, as she pressed her lips together and glared at him, pulling herself to her fullest height. But she couldn't deny the truth of his word. She knew her truth. She would never be treated like Hyosung and Jieun were. She was better than Hyosung in everything, but Hyosung was older and a higher-colony child, which meant she had been promoted. Still, she could no longer believe what she once had, that all higher-colony citizens were smug bastards, who wanted this poverty and squalor. 

Most didn't even know about this. Most thought the world was filled with abundance, and those who did know had charities to try and make things better. Even if the money rarely made it the people who needed it, and were transferred instead to the corrupt governments of the cities of Dainchi, it was a kind gesture. She could neither agree with the doctrines of the Queen, but nor could she agree with what she had used to believe about the wider universe. And the thing about Sungjin, was that he was unwilling to compromise on his ideals, while she was sure that the Queen and the King were slowly changing their mind about how they planned to deal with the lower colonies. 

She had made the right choice....right? "They may not treat me fairly, but even their injustice is better than what we had here." she said, coldly, as she hopped off the table, and walked away towards the door. "I will make it up on the virtue of my own virtues. The Queen is slowly her changing her mind about things, the more that I talk. And it's clear that we have nothing to say, to each other, so I'm going."

"Don't, Hana." said Sungjin, and despite herself, Hana stopped and turned around. His eyes looked heartfelt and woestruck."You were always the best of us. With you and our new guy's plans, we can make things better. Leave those little bitches who'll never love you like we did Leave her service, walk away, come home. The guys would take you back. I'd make them take you back. Come back home."

Hana wavered. His face had always been so persuasive, which was how they'd managed to do so much. Her skills, his beauty. But she couldn't help but think about how she and Sunhwa, and Jieun and Hyosung had sat together, staring into the gaping maw of a dying sun, sipping wine, and making crass jokes, like children, before they'd been released from training. Sunhwa's skin had been paler and more smooth then, and Hyosung had been less scarred by the consequences of her mistakes and Jieun's face had been less drawn. Hana herself remembered most vividly from then, how the four of them had all clutched each other, in slow, helpless giggles, trusting each other implicitly to not let the others fall. The soft feeling of their skin against hers, and the heady smell of wine mixed with the flowery scents of their shampoo. And she knew that she would follow them anywhere. 

"I can't, Sungjin. Our duties lies in a different places now.” said Hana, regretfully, reaching out a hand for him, as a soothing gesture. "I was never meant to languish here.” She would have been more content with maybe sleeping with him for one night and then disappearing, but evidently, she was going to need to find another date with less strings attached. 

Sungjin gripped her hand and pushed her back against the wall, with a thud. "Languish? LANGUISH?! YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SPEAK OF THAT?!" he demanded, with a furious growl. "If I'm stuck here, you're damn well staying here too! You ruined us, and I'm going to make you pay!" 

His face contorted into a growl, his eyebrows pulling together aggressively, as she attempted to pin her down and bite her. Hana froze for a moment as he snarled and came closer, before her reflexes kicked in and she kicked him straight in the balls, with her very tall, sharp heels. He squeaked, and then tightened his grip firmly, as she attempted to twist out of it, struggling and kicking all the way. Her other hand crept towards her hoodie and in the struggle, she was able to unzip it easily. She aimed another kick upwards, towards his chest, and his hand pulled away from Hana to clutch his stomach, momentarily. Hana reached for the knife in her bra. 

He lunged at her, as if determined to keep her there and make her pay for his bruises, and without caring where she was stabbing. Hana slashed outwards at him, feeling the blood spurt out at the wound was was causing, by repeated slashing outwards. He staggered away, and instantly, Hana activated her bracelet. Within a few seconds, her background evaporated, until she was back in the bridge of her ship, shaking with shock.

Sungjin...

Hana stumbled away from the bridge, stifling the urge to vomit, by pressing her hand to her face and clutching her stomach. Oh goddess. Oh goddess. Oh goddess. She pushed open for the nearest door and groaned as it refused to open. She banged on it for a bit, hoping that the mechanism would give in, before she just slumped down in front of the door, sobbing, miserably. 

The door slid away from behind her back, and Hana fell backwards. Her head leant back to see a slightly blurred, upside-down Hyosung, whose makeup was gone and looked rather tired. Hana felt the tears trickle down even further and Hyosung crouched down instantly, and pulled Hana up, until Hana was engulfed in Hyosung’s warm arms. 

“Hey, are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt? Are Sunhwa and Jieun okay? What happened? Where are they?” bombarded Hyosung, as she pulled Hna into her room. Oh. Wrong room. Hana felt sick inside and couldn't instantly respond, shaking her head. 

Hyosung’s eyes widened. “They’re dead?” she demanded, shaking Hana’s shoulders and Hana shook her head again, frantically, as she attempted to drop out of Hyosung's grasp. She just needed to cry in peace.Hyosung let out a sigh of relief, and pulled Hana closer, into a tighter hug. Hana pulled away instantly, and ran towards Hyosung’s bathroom, and leant over the toilet, as she dry retched over and over.

Nothing came out. She hadn’t eaten in a while and it showed. Hyosung’s hands were on her back, and pulling back Hana’s blonde hair, gentle and unassuming, as she waited for Hana to stop choking. Finally, the sensation left and Han just felt empty. Oh goddess. Everything ached. 

“Hyosung, how does someone be so amazing and can then turn into someone terrifying?” she asked, her voice hoarse and cracking with the effort of forcing words out. Hyosung, who looked so worried up until then, hardened and she pulled Hana into a fierce, protective hug, her bandage rubbing against Hana’s cheek. 

Hana shakily breathed in the smell of whiskey and of Hyosung’s musky perfume, intertwined together with a little bit of sweat. Oh goddess, it wasn’t supposed to be, but it was beyond comforting. “People change, until they’re beyond our reach. Sometimes in a good way, but mostly in a bad way. It’s how life works. We just find other people, people who love us and are on our level.” Hyosung murmured, rubbing small circles in Hana’s back and Hana let out a shaky sigh. 

“Unnie, he was beautiful. I thought I was in love with him when I left. But now...” he gasped and tightened her own arms around Hyosung, in something close to a death grip.

“It’s his blood, isn’t it?” asked Hyosung, smoothing her hands over Hana’s hair. “Not yours? You aren't hurt?” Hana nodded in confirmation, unable to push past the lump in her voice. Hyosung’s hands were so soft and deliberate. The motion was so soothing. “Good. People like him are liabilities, Hana. And you did the right thing, if he even tried to hurt you.”

“I alerted their attention to our existence, he’s going to come after me and oh goddess, he saw me with Jieunnie! I don’t know what’’s going to happen to our Jieunnie, she’s all alone down on Dainchi! What do I do, Hyosung-unnie????” Hana blabbered, as she clutched the cloth of Hyosung’s thin jumper, in panic. She rarely panicked like this, but she could feel his hands again and see his harsh face and the sheer malice of his body language. Not her Sungjin. 

Hyosung just stroked Hana’s hair, again before straightening up and pulling Hana to the small table in the centre of Hyosung’s room. “I’ll send her a message. But don’t worry so much, Jieun knows her way out of situations just as well as we do. She’s not a pushover, she’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know them, unnie. They’re really bad. And they know how to kill people or injure people, or torture people without leaving any marks. They’re thieves and liars, who were being groomed to become the criminals they hated. Jieun can’t deal with that alone.” said Hana, burying her head in her hands. 

Hyosung pushed the half-empty whiskey bottle towards Hana. “Drink. Now. Stop panicking Hana, this isn’t like you at all. Breathe. I’m sending her a message of caution. From the way you’re talking, Sunhwa isn’t there?”

Hana took a large swill of whiskey, coughing as it burned its way down her throat. But it didn’t hurt as much as his face did and she nodded. “Sunhwa’s still on the moon. She’s okay, I think. The ambassadors won’t do anything to her. This is a peace treaty, after all.” she said, tried to calm herself, like Hyosung was asking her to do. Sungjin was gone. Sungjin was gone. She’d left him behind once and she’d done it again. 

Hyosung tapped something away and Hana took another deep swill of the drink. the whiskey burned and she felt completely undone. She glanced down at her hoodie and shirt, and blinked at the blood that spattered her entire bust. Oh. No wonder Hyosung had looked so worried. Hana hadn’t even noticed it. Hana pulled off the shirt and hoodie, until she was just sitting at Hyosung’s table in her bra and shorts, sipping whiskey. 

“Hyosung-unnie.” she whispered, as Hyosung turned away from the hologram, looking tired and more than a little drunk from her own portion of sipping the whiskey bottle. Leaning forward, Hyosung took the bottle from Hana, taking a deep sip herself, without even coughing. 

“You scared me, Hana.” murmured Hyosung, as she put the bottle down, pushing it over to the other side of the table. Her eyes were lined with the small bags that makeup hid easily and her headwound made her face seem pinched. 

“I’m sorry, unnie.” said Hana, looking down at her lap, more contrite than she ever usually was with anyone. She felt bare and hurt and empty. How was she going to be able to face the ambassadors tomorrow morning? Hyosung’s hand landed on Hana’s shoulder, as if reading Hana’s thoughts and intercepting them. Even though Hyosung was only two years older than Hana, she was always a comfort and a voice of stability. Even if Hyosung was sometimes stupid too. 

“Come on.” she said pulling Hana down to the small, cramped bed. Hana didn’t protest this, as she buried herself in Hyosung’s ample cleavage and just breathed in Hyosung’s presence. Hyosung’s soft arms wrapped around her, and Hana breathed it in. 

-

Her ankles were still jittery when the morning came, and as the three of them gathered round, waiting for the sun to officially rise and for the waiting period to be over. Hana forced herself to breathe properly and not let the hangover cloud her mind. Her makeup covered up the evidence of her tiredness and she looked just as fierce as she had yesterday. She was physically flawless, as if nothing had happened.

Jieun was radiant from the night before, and she looked quite confident in their victory, but occasionally, her gaze slid over to Hana, with a worried look. Hyosung had been good enough to not mention the details of why Jieun had needed to be careful the night before, but Jieun had to have known that something was wrong with Hana. Sunhwa however, looked pretty and stupid, and quite clueless about the events of last night. For the best, really, Sunhwa didn’t need to be troubled with it. 

Her toes jittered and she focused her eyes back on the images of the conversing ambassadors, refusing to let the pounding headache hinder her comprehension. “Are they any more convinced?” muttered Hana, to Sunhwa, out of the corner of her mouth .

“Yes.” said Sunhwa, shortly, and Hana didn’t contest this statement. They waited in silence, until finally, Sir Hungsim stepped forward. 

He cleared his throat, adjusted his robes and inclined his head, graciously. “We find this cessation of hostilities sufficient. We will sign this temporary treaty, and a fuller treaty will be drafted, to be signed by our leaders, in two or three months.” Hana frowned. Wasn’t this supposed to be the permanent treaty? What sort of concessions were they going to try and fight for in the next iteration of this?

Still, Jieun seemed to be taking this as a victory and she smiled radiantly. “Shall we both sign, Sir Hungsim?” she asked, politely, as she walked forward towards their table. He nodded and they bent over the table together, their hands scratching against the document. Paper was only ever used for official documents like this, because of how difficult it was to manufacture trees and then sell them on the market, thanks to the severe tax on paper. Besides, it was more difficult to forge handwriting than it was to forge an electronic signature. 

They finally finished, and both pricked their fingers, with their pins. Their blood smeared across the final lines, marking it as oath, before they both bowed and walked away from each other, Jieun taking the document with her. As Jieun passed them, Hana and Sunhwa followed her back to the ship, their steps in tandem.

They didn’t relax until the ship was up in the orbit and flying, and finally, Sunhwa cracked a tired smile. “We did it, gals!” she said, incredulously and Jieun laughed, happily. Hana grinned, placing thumbs-up in the air, and Hyosung, who had been curled up in one of the seats to the side, just smiled, proudly. 

“I never want to do stuff like that without you, again Hyosung-unnie.” said Sunhwa, with a weary sigh, rubbing her temples, as she set the ship into autopilot. “I had to be paper-thin and intelligent at the same time. Balancing the two is impossible. Thank god, these people are stupid.” 

Hana’s smile only became more tired, as she shut her eyes and rubbed at her own temples, the makeup coming off with that touch. Her hungover headache was only getting worse. Jieun’s eyes were fixed on her face when Hana opened her eyes again, and Jieun looked away instantly, bashfully. Sunhwa didn’t seem to notice this, as she complained at Hyosung. 

“Hey, I’m going to bed. I have an awful headache.” announced Hana, as she pulled off the heavy guns and walked away, not waiting for an affirmative. Sungjin’s weight was still there. She’d be better tomorrow. But today, she needed to sleep him off. And possibly the drink, as well. Whiskey on an empty stomach had probably been a bad idea.


End file.
